Coastal Carolina University reinstates mask mandate as COVID cases soar due to omicron
Coastal Carolina University students and staff will again be required to wear masks when they return to campus for spring semester, the school announced Thursday.
The university required masks throughout the fall 2021 semester, but the board of trustees voted to end the mandate in mid-December at the end of the term. But the fast-spreading omicron variant has pushed forward another surge in cases, with Horry County reporting nearly 3,000 new cases since Dec. 26.
All individuals will be required to wear masks indoors on CCU’s campus regardless of vaccination status, according to updated procedures posted on the school’s website. There are few exceptions, including when people are eating and in some residence hall rooms.
While COVID-19 testing won’t be required for students and staff to return to campus, the university urged students to get a test on their own and know their results before coming back.
The university has also updated its quarantine guidance to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control protocol, meaning people who test positive for the virus now must isolate for five days instead of 10.
“Recognizing the ever-changing landscape regarding COVID can be daunting, please know that we will continue to make the decisions that are best for the university community,” the school’s statement reads. “Our students have experienced, and continue to experience, such a unique situation during this pandemic.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 11:03 AM.
